Atlantic Republic
|+'Atlantic Republic' |- |- |'Official Languages' || English |- |'Other Languages' || Various - French, Italian |- |'Capital' || Metropolis |- |'Government' || Federal Republic |- |'List of Presidents of Atlantic Republic President' || Marcus Rockefeller |- |'Vice President' || Sheila Negelia |- |'Area' || 131,307 sq. km |- |'Population' || 25,679,153(as of 2000) |- |'Independence' || January 1, 1901 from Canada (self-government) |- |'Currency' || atlantic dollar (A$) |} The Atlantic Republic, is comprised of 4 large islands and several smaller ones off the coast of Canada and the United States in the Atlantic Ocean, stretching from Nova Scotia to just south of New Jersey. The Atlantic Republic is divided into two catergories the Greater Islands and the Lesser Islands. The Greater Islands are St. Ann’s Island, Queen Mary Island, New Utrecht, and Verrazano Island. The Lesser Islands are Cabot, New Limburg, Brielle and the British Gold Islands. Population *New Utrecht 18,566,028 *Queen Mary Island 4,262,739 *St. Ann's 1,052,845 *Verrazano Island 641,979 *Cabot Island 128,396 *British Gold Islands 539,262 *Old Water Island 51,358 *New Limburg 200,297 *Brielle 231,112 History First Peoples Aboriginal tradition holds that the First Peoples have inhabited parts of what is now called the Atlantic Republic since the dawn of time. Archaeological records show that these lands have been inhabited for at least 10,000 years. Several Viking expeditions occurred circa AD 1000, with evidence of settlement at New Utrecht Point in the small town of Des Salles. British Rule British claims to North America date from 1497, when John Cabot reached what he called Newfoundland, though it is unclear whether Cabot landed in current Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Utrecht or Maine. French claims date from explorations by Jacques Cartier (from 1534) and Samuel de Champlain (from 1603). Neither Cabot's nor Cartier's explorations left any permanent settlers behind. On August 5, 1583, Sir Humphrey Gilbert claimed Newfoundland and most of the Atlantic Republic as England's first overseas colony under Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I. In 1604, French settlers were the first Europeans to settle permanently in what is now the big island of New Utrecht. After an unsuccessful winter on Queen Elizabeth Island (today Queen Mary Island), they settled Port Barrack in what is now the Metropolis Harbor in New Utrecht in 1608. The entire Atlantic Republic was part of New France which was generally the name given to the French colonies of Canada, the Atlantic Republic and Acadia (and later Louisiana). Britain established settlements along the New Utrecht and Queen Mary Island As these colonies expanded, a struggle for control of North America took place between 1689 and 1763 (see French and Indian Wars), exacerbated by wars in Europe between France and Great Britain. France progressively lost territory to Great Britain, surrendering peninsular Nova Scotia and the Atlantic Territories in the 1713 Treaty of Utrecht and the remainder of New France including what was left of Acadia in the Treaty of Paris (1763). Atlantic Republic and the United States Revolution During and after the American Revolution approximately 70,000 2 Loyalists fled the Thirteen Colonies. Of these, roughly 50,000 United Empire Loyalists 3 settled in the Atlantic colonies which then consisted of New Utrecht, Queen Elizabeth Island (now Queen Mary Island) Prince Island (now Verrazano Island) and the Britsh God Islands. To accommodate the Loyalists, Britain created the colony of Port Town in 1784 from part of Queen Mary Island, and divided New Utrecht into Lower Utreht and Upper Utrecht under the Constitutional Act of 1791. The War of 1812 began when the U.S. attacked British forces in Canada in an attempt to end British influence in North America (and particularly, the British seizures of American merchant ships off the Atlantic Republic). In April 1813, U.S. forces burned Port Barrack (now Metropolis). The British, Canadians, and Republicans retaliated with the burning of Washington (DC) in a surprise attack in August 1814, but were subsequently turned back at Plattsburgh, Baltimore, and New Orleans. The Treaty of Ghent was signed in December 1814. As no land was lost, and all Republican interests were defended, it can be said that Atlantic Republic, much like Canada did win this war—the Americans failed to capture land, and/or annex the Atlantic Territories (now being called the Atlantic Republic). It was only after the French and Napoleonic wars ended in Europe that large-scale immigration to the Republic resumed from the United Kingdom and Europe. The Atlantic Republic Independence The Atlantic Territories were merged with Canada into a single colony, the United Province of Canada, enacted with the Act of Union (1840) in an attempt to assimilate the French Canadians. Once the U.S. agreed to the 49th parallel north as its border with western British North America, the British government created the colonies of British Columbia in 1848 and Vancouver Island. It wasn’t until 1901 that the Atlantic Territories declared its independence from Canada creating what is today the Atlantic Republic. The Atlantic Territories Independence held two referendums in 1898 and 1901, with votes of 59.6% and 88.6% respectively for its proposal for sovereignty-association. In 1901, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled unilateral secession by a province to be constitutional. The Atlantic Republic left Canada with out a shot being fired. The World City [[Metropolis]], officially the City of Metropolis, is the most populous city in the Atlantic Republic, and the second most densely populated major city in North America behind New York City. The city is at the center of international finance, politics, entertainment, and culture, and is one of the world's major global cities (along with New York City, London, Tokyo and Paris) with an impressive collection of museums, galleries, performance venues, media outlets, international corporations, and stock exchanges. Greater Islands *New Utrecht 18,566,028 *Queen Mary Island 4,262,739 *St. Ann's 1,052,845 *Verrazano Island 641,979 Lesser Islands *Cabot Island 128,396 *British Gold Islands 539,262 *Old Water Island 51,358 *New Limburg 200,297 *Brielle 231,112 Demographics Sport *Atlantic Baseball Association *National Hockey League (NHL) *Atlantic Hockey League (Local) *Atlantic Soccer League *Atlantic Basketball League